I agree that the `The Glass Menagerie' is definitely a play about life that is explored "through he fantasies of a crippled girl." However, more than that, it is a play about family and how they interact with each other, causing them to lead such a life. So, yes, although the plot centres on Laura, we also learn a fair amount about Amanda and Tom's life. Therefore, Williams actually explores life through the fantasies of an American family who share one main thing in common- they all have big dreams, but they are all flawed. Thus, failure is their only fate.

Life is explored in detail through the main characters namely Laura, Amanda and Tom, I will first look at Laura. Laura's "defect" in her leg has made her a shy and reclusive girl. She "started out badly." In high school, she grew extremely self-conscious of herself as...